Guy’s Night Out

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May 16, 2017

Article Wesley Brown | Photography Evan Anderson

RECIPES

Pinchos Morunos

The concept of grilled meat sticks comes from all over Spain and North Africa. These skewers smother lamb in a generously spiced marinade that blends the seasonings from both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.

You can make these with precut lamb cubes or, if you’re cutting the meat yourself, about three pounds of boneless lamb shoulder or leg (once you trim off all the fat and silverskin, you’ll end up with two pounds of meat to cut into cubes).

Combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, garam masala, thyme, pimentón, chiles, bay leaves, peppercorns, oil and 2 tsp of salt in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour the marinade over the lamb in a bowl and mix until all of the lamb pieces are evenly coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to cook, heat an outdoor grill (preferably charcoal) or indoor grill pan to high. Thread five or six lamb pieces on each skewer. Season each skewer on all sides with salt.

Grill the skewers, turning once, until medium, about 4 to 6 minutes total. The outside should be charred and the meat should have a little resistance if you press it. Serve immediately with Cucumber Onion Pickles (check out the Cúrate Cookbook for the recipe!).

We’ve all heard of girl’s night out, outings peppered with wine glasses and high heels—but what about guy’s night out? Sometimes a gentleman just needs a stiff drink and a good meal with his compatriots by his side. These are nights of mirth and debate and, occasionally, debauchery, with the staccato clink of glasses and the rounded curl of laughter a welcome soundtrack.

We invited some of the finest gentlemen of Asheville to a recently expanded Cúrate for one such guy’s night out.

Asheville’s preeminent chef Katie Button wined and dined our guys for a night to remember, but the real star of the show was the restaurant itself. “The expansion is something we’ve been thinking of since we opened six years ago,” notes Button. Though the limited space inspired them to hold fast to their focused concept, the addition of a second space gives guests and employees a little extra room to breathe.

“The core of the design is the same—the colors and the layout—we were just able to increase our flow and the impact of the entrance of the space. The two buildings were once one building, historically, so it was easy. We were just opening up the spaces that had been open before,” Button explains.

Now that the expansion is complete, Button’s already flitting on to her next project. “Cúrate’s only been open six years—I think of everything we’ve accomplished, and I think ‘What could I do in 10?’” She laughs before digging into the projects that are vying for space in an already packed schedule, delving deeper into community involvement and a new cookbook among them.

So what makes Cúrate such an amazing destination for guy’s night out? “We have a full gamut of possibilities,” Button says. “The atmosphere is really wonderful—vibrant and energetic, everyone’s working in front of you.” She also points out that the bar is the perfect place to begin the night, a casual entreé to an evening of culinary delights. Plus, some of the largest dishes, like the suckling pig or wood-fired trout, are perfect for a big group of hungry men. Not to say that their palates aren’t refined. “One of their favorite dishes was the grilled green asparagus with romesco sauce,” Button says of our own diners.